A Little Bit Each Day Goes A Long Way

A phrase that often comes to mind and is particularly apropos at the beginning of a new year is: “A little bit each day goes a long way.” Whether you have personal goals, family goals or business goals, tackling a small portion each day adds up significantly over time. Personally, I have always been a very goal-driven person, but sometimes staying the course to achieve my objectives can be daunting!

I know that setting goals and working towards accomplishing them is necessary if I hope to make positive progress in any one direction. Having a clearly defined goal that I have setfor myself through prayer, a conviction that this is what God is calling me to do, and a game plan of how to achieve it – is what motivates me each day to keep going, even when the going gets tough!

At the start of each day, I set my vision before me and ask God to help me make my vision become a reality each step I take on the journey. I remind myself that doing just a little bit each day for the goal I am striving to complete can go a long way. Likewise, I know that a few steps in the wrong direction every day can, over time, drastically alter my course and send me in the wrong direction – perhaps without my even realizing it.

In his bookThe Compound Effect, Darren Hardy explains how making small adjustments in our day can dramatically change the outcome of our lives.

“The best illustration I can give you to emphasize the power of small adjustments is that of a plane traveling from Los Angeles to New York City. If the nose of the plane is pointed only one percent off course – almost an invisible adjustment when the plane is hitting the tarmac in Los Angeles it will ultimately end up about 15o miles off course, arriving either upstate in Albany or in Dover, Delaware. Such is the case for your habits. A single poor habit, which doesn’t look like much in the moment, can ultimately lead you miles off course from the direction of your goals and the life you desire.”

Wow! The good news, though, is that a one-percent adjustment each day in the direction of achieving your goals (a little bit each day goes a long way) can have a massive positive impact on the overall timeline for reaching your destination. Never underestimate the power of staying the course with just a few steps each day!

About Author

Kathleen Billings blogs at seasonsoftheheartandhome.com. She writes about living her faith in every season, as a wife and a mother of five, amidst the ordinary moments each day that God wants to make extraordinary. She has a BA in Theology, is a regular blogger on marriage for the USCCB Website, a contributing author to the book "Amazing Grace for Mothers," and an active Catholic speaker.